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Date: 2002-01-28

Das rasante Altern der Hacker


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Schon ist der nächste - kaum einem jugendlich/delinquenten Dasein als
Scriptkid und Defacer entwachsen - auf dem Weg mit einer Security Bude
dorthin, wo Medien auf Stellungnahmen warten. Das Wording hat bereits
etwas von einem Elder Statesman, bald ist das Pensionsalter erreicht.

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Pimpshiz, the hacker who rose to notoriety in 2000 during a Pro-Napster
defacement spree, has gone straight. Although his case is still pending in the
US judicial system, Robert Lyttle, as he is now known, is trying to make a
break as a security expert.

With a string of website defacements under his belt including military, FBI,
and Nasa sites, Lyttle has started up a security company, Sub-Seven
Software. He believes that the security industry could do with a word of
advice from the dark side of the hat.

"Only a hacker can defeat a hacker. The threat of digital malice seems only
to grow. Reports show that, even when new security measures are deployed,
computer crimes do not decrease; often they increase," he said.

"The year 2001 catapulted to over 20,000 defacements from a mere 5,000
reported in the year 2000. Figures shown should not be taken lightly
considering that there are thousands of other incidents that aren't being
recorded," he added, predicting that numbers will increase this year.

[...]

"It doesn't take a genius to launch a worldwide attack, but only a few easily
acquired resources," he said. "With this in mind, some hackers are
beginning to realise that they are already equipped with the knowledge to
accomplish larger and more destructive missions. All of this is leading to
nothing but more insecurity towards a secure digital space."

[...]

Apparently it's even possible to make a living from digital fraud. "Making a
profit, earning a buck from everything illegal done, is their speciality. Is it
hard? No. Are we all possible victims? Yes. What you should be worrying
about are the companies that store your vital information," he warned.

Lyttle claimed that "it is extremely hard to live a legal life on the internet and,
because of this, people will become accustomed to illegal activities".

[...]
"The internet was not raised with super-strict legal guidelines in mind which
makes it what it is today - a widely illegal locale," said Lyttle. "There is no
remedy for this; re-establishing the internet is quite impossible. Only
improvements and adjustments in the system can be applied to help its
users live a legal digital life."

The hacker reckons that living an illegal life on the internet is "no big deal".
Bringing a website to its knees, stealing identities and snooping secret
documents is so run of the mill that "the hackers you hear about in the news
are the community that is in full control over the internet: the ones who are
considered semi-smart but, in reality, do not possess any true knowledge or
morals".

But Lyttle said that defending yourself digitally is extremely easy. "For the
past five years I've used the same antivirus scanner. It's called my brain. It
only takes common sense to make sure that you aren't about to step into a
self-initiated catastrophic situation," he explained.

He suggested that the vast majority of successful attacks happen because
people don't think before they open strange files. "Don't watch your important
documents get wiped before your eyes; instead use your judgement," he said.

As a parting shot, Lyttle made a scathing attack on the hackers' adversary,
the FBI. It was probably not a good move seeing as he hasn't been
sentenced yet, but he insists that the authorities are not clued up enough to
fight the hacker menace.

Speaking from experience, Lyttle said: "I came into the room knowing what
they were going to say to me. [They underestimated me], creating
vulnerabilities in themselves therefore allowing me to have the upper hand at
all times."

Lyttle admits that he may not possess the upper hand in court. But it looks
like he is the one "being beaten down, the one being hassled with court fees
and other miscellaneous complications".
[...]

Mehr davon
http://www.vnunet.com/News/1128657
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edited by Harkank
published on: 2002-01-28
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